Last year, there were 583 reports of people walking on or along the railway tracks in Belgium. According to the rail infrastructure manager Infrabel, these individuals were responsible for 4.5 hours of delays per day.
Track intruders cause significant delays, particularly during the evening rush hour and on the busy north-south line in Brussels. Infrabel calculated that without track intruders, punctuality would improve by 0.3 percentage points – trespassing is the leading external cause of train delays.
Additionally, in 2025, nine people lost their lives while trespassing on the tracks, and three others were seriously injured.
Shortcut to another platform
Infrabel has identified 102 hotspots, locations where trespassing on the tracks occurs frequently, and 58 stations where trespassers are more common. However, it is notable that this phenomenon is occurring with increasing frequency within the stations themselves.
In the long term, there is a downward trend: 646 reports were recorded in 2024, though Brussels is an exception. On the busy north-south line in the capital, 55 cases were recorded last year. In Brussels-North alone, 19 trespass reports were recorded last year. There were 18 reports at Brussels-South and 15 at Brussels-Central.
Nonetheless, these figures are not exceptional, as nearly half of all trespassing reports on the tracks in Belgium occur at or near stations, often by people looking for a shortcut to another platform.
New pilot project at Brussels-North Station
That is why Infrabel has proposed a new measure at Brussels-North Station. It involves both a physical and a virtual barrier designed to prevent people from entering the tracks and, at the same time, to speed up the detection of trespassers.
The pilot project is being rolled out on tracks 1 and 12, as well as on the platform between tracks 8 and 9, which is longer than the others. On the one hand, barriers and trip mats have been installed; on the other hand, a virtual barrier using cameras with intrusion detection automatically sends an alarm to an NMBS/SNCB control room. The project involves an investment of 75,000 euros.
Three categories
Infrabel and other European rail network operators typically divide trespassers into three categories based on their motivation. The largest group consists of short cutters, travelers who, for example, cross the tracks at the end of the platform to reach another train or the parking lot more quickly, or residents who have been crossing the tracks via a shortcut for years because it is the quickest route to their destination.
Then there are the adrenaline seekers and creatives, such as young people for whom the thrill of the forbidden plays a role, or photographers and graffiti artists who find railway yards, marshaling yards, and old tunnels appealing because of their raw, industrial aesthetic.
And finally, there is the group of people who end up on the tracks unintentionally due to absent-mindedness or distraction.
A fine of up to €300 or even €500
Track trespassing is a widespread European problem: approximately 65% of all fatalities on European railways, excluding suicides, are the result of unauthorized persons on the tracks.
Countries with a very dense rail network, such as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany, receive proportionally more reports than larger countries like France or Spain.
In Belgium, trespassers caught in the act or found in parts of the railway infrastructure that are not accessible to the public face a fine of up to €300 under the Railway Police Act, and even €500 for repeat offenses.
